St. Margaret's RC Memorial Church
Dunfermline, Fife
St. Margaret is the patroness of our Parish, of Dunfermline, and indeed of Scotland. Here we see her depicted as Queen of Scotland in the stained glass window within the small chapel of Edinburgh Castle.
Queen Margaret of Scotland is a historic figure. The facts of her life can be found by clicking on either of the links below .
Stained glass window image of Saint Margaret of Scotland in the small chapel at Edinburgh Castle.
Copyright © St. Margaret's RC Memorial Church, Dunfermline 2009. All rights reserved.
(l to r) Fr. David Barr, Cardinal Keith O’Brien, & Ursuline Sisters from Gillis College, Edinburgh
Solumn Transfer and Dedication of the Relic of St.Margaret
The Solemn Transfer of the Relic of St. Margaret (having previously been held at Gillis College, Edinburgh), and its dedication in the Lady Chapel of St. Margaret’s Dunfermline took place on the Feast day of St. Margaret, Sunday, 16th November at 11am Mass. The ceremony was presided over by Cardinal O'Brien. To read more on this historic occasion, click on the link below.
The Relic of St.Margaret returned to Dunfermline during 2008 after many years in the safe keeping of the Ursuline Sisters at Gilles College, Edinburgh. Below are some key dates in the history of how the relic originally came to Scotland.
March 1862: Bishop Gillis leaves for Rome to seek permission to remove the relics
of St. Margaret. This project had been conceived as far back as 1847 when he applied
to Rome for the relics and permission was now given if the Queen of Spain gave her
assent. Many delays and disappointments followed as the Escurial containing the
relics had been scattered during the Peninsular War (1808-
1886: Golden Jubilee celebrations when the relic is to be removed from the cedar box where it has lain under the Bishop’s seal since its journey from Spain and enshrined in a suitable Reliquary designed by Bishop Gillis.
8th June 1886: The relic is enclosed in a crystal cylinder surrounded by clusters of Gothic pinnacles surmounted by a statue of St. Margaret. The base of the Reliquary is provided with a receptacle to hold the documents attesting the authenticity of the Relic.
